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21 – 30 of 57Colin C.J. Cheng, Shu-Han Hsu and Chwen Sheu
Prior research on supply chain management has advanced substantially our understanding of how suppliers’ knowledge affects manufacturers’ green innovation. However, overlooking…
Abstract
Purpose
Prior research on supply chain management has advanced substantially our understanding of how suppliers’ knowledge affects manufacturers’ green innovation. However, overlooking the suppliers’ diverse green knowledge in supplier networks, namely, green knowledge diversity, has limited our understanding of both supply chain management and green innovation development. To address this important issue, this study aims to rely on social network theory as the overarching framework and knowledge-based view as the underlying theoretical foundation to examine how green knowledge diversity contributes to manufacturers’ green innovation performance, while considering three types of supplier network properties (network strength, network heterogeneity and network density).
Design/methodology/approach
This study collects both survey and secondary proxy data from 209 manufacturing firms over three time periods (mid-2018, mid-2019 and mid-2020). PROCESS macro is applied to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results provide compelling evidence that green knowledge management processes partially mediate the effect of green knowledge diversity on manufacturers’ green innovation performance. The effect of green knowledge diversity is strengthened by supplier network strength and supplier network heterogeneity, but hindered by supplier network density.
Practical implications
This study provides a practical guide to help manufacturers enhance green innovation performance by properly managing and leveraging their suppliers’ diverse green knowledge domains in supplier networks.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the supply chain management and green innovation literature by offering novel theoretical and empirical insights into how manufacturers can use their supplier networks to strengthen green innovation.
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Ioannis Sitaridis and Fotis Kitsios
Continuous advances in digital technology and business models digitalization have decisively altered the entrepreneurial landscape redefining the aims and the requirements of…
Abstract
Purpose
Continuous advances in digital technology and business models digitalization have decisively altered the entrepreneurial landscape redefining the aims and the requirements of entrepreneurial education to suit the new digital reality in entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study is to shed light in a neglected niche in the intersection between digital entrepreneurship (DE) and entrepreneurship education and outline DE education as field of research. Given that the interdisciplinary growth of DE research outpaces instructional designs in terms of required knowledge and skills, it is important to document how entrepreneurship education responds to the ongoing integration of emerging digital technologies with the entrepreneurial process. Moreover, the introduction of a DE education conceptual framework would facilitate the discussion on theoretical and practical implications and promote new conceptualizations in future research, new educational approaches and new curriculum designs.
Design/methodology/approach
A concept-driven, semi-structured developmental literature review methodology, based on grounded theory and reinforced with increased systemization, was used for the identification and analysis of peer-reviewed articles. Previous literature reviews were used to define the search keywords. The articles from three databases were carefully selected, based on protocol and strict eligibility criteria. The papers in the final set were classified in four primary dimensions, synthesized from several sub-streams of research. Each sub-stream highlighting a different view of DE education emerged through open, axial and selective coding of articles. The combined perspectives of these dimensions resulted in a new DE conceptual framework.
Findings
Thematic interrelation between the studies examined, revealed an ample view of the various schools of thought in the research field, offering also a better understanding on how entrepreneurial education addresses the practical requirements of digital entrepreneurship. A four dimensional conceptual framework produced highlights pedagogy and learning, success factors and barriers, behavioral approach and ecosystems as the current trends of research. Also, directions for future research are proposed.
Practical implications
The classification framework proposed can serve as a roadmap for entrepreneurship educators seeking efficient pedagogical practices focused on the transfer of knowledge and training on the new skills required by DE and motivate future researchers aiming to propose novel educational interventions.
Originality/value
Although digital entrepreneurship research has gained significant momentum in recent years, little attention is paid to its increased educational requirements. The body of knowledge develops in an uncontrolled and fragmented manner, and the systematic study of the field from an educational perspective was missing. This study offers a representative picture of the topic, highlights current trends of research, synthesizes literature from different disciplinary origins, provides linkages between unconnected streams of research and points out research gaps. Finally, it proposes a conceptual framework to circumscribe DE education as a field of study and serve as a basis to help future research move forward.
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Muhammad Zaheer Hashim, Liu Chao and Chao Wang
Steered by upper echelon theory, this study aims to scrutinize the prevalence of project manager demographic factors (age, education and experience) in project sustainability…
Abstract
Purpose
Steered by upper echelon theory, this study aims to scrutinize the prevalence of project manager demographic factors (age, education and experience) in project sustainability management and project performance.
Design/methodology/approach
We used a sample of 209 project managers/supervisor/team leaders who were working in the projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Findings
The results indicate that project manager demographic factors have a significant influence on project performance (except experience) and project sustainability management. Moreover, project sustainability management partially mediates the relationship between age, education and project performance while it fully mediates the path between experience and project performance.
Practical implications
The research recommends senior, high educated and experienced managers for CPEC who promote sustainability and gain high project performance.
Originality/value
A number of studies have been carried out to assess the relationship between top managers’ attributes and environmental activities. However, so far, none of the studies has paid attention to the CPEC and projects working in Pakistan.
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Ahmad Arslan, Samppa Kamara, Nadia Zahoor, Pushpa Rani and Zaheer Khan
This paper explores the survival strategies and coping mechanisms of ethnic minority entrepreneurs operating in the hospitality sector in northern Finland during the ongoing…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the survival strategies and coping mechanisms of ethnic minority entrepreneurs operating in the hospitality sector in northern Finland during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilizes qualitative research approach based on six exploratory case studies. The in-depth interviews in two phases were conducted with owners/mangers of ethnic minority entrepreneurial restaurants.
Findings
The findings reveal that all studied case firms undertook quick adjustments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, staff working hours were reduced through mutual consultation, and readjustments to the supply chain were made so that critical ingredients remain available despite the forced lockdown and supply chain bottlenecks. However, the readjustment of the supply chain was not visible in all case firms. Some of the owner-managers who were interviewed decided to keep doing business with the ethnic minority suppliers, despite some transportation problems due to lockdowns, especially in the early phases of COVID-19. Findings also suggest that the support grants announced by the state appeared not to be particularly useful for these restaurants due to restrictive eligibility criteria that many microbusinesses potentially fail to meet. Finally, the sample microbusinesses (restaurants) entrepreneurs recognize the importance of home delivery for their business survival, although they were critical of online food delivery service providers (apps) due to their high charges. Some of the case restaurants gave customers incentives for directly ordering from them, as an alternative strategy.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the first studies to specifically highlight the peculiarities of ethnic minority entrepreneurship and survival dynamics in northern Finland, where running the restaurant operations, including ensuring the supply chain management, is more complex than in the case of ethnic minority restaurants in more well-connected European countries and cities with an established history of immigrant businesses. This study is also novel in terms of specifying the strategies adopted by ethnic minority businesses in adjusting to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and surviving through it. At the same time, it has shown limitations and some problems associated with accessing state support announced for the hospitality industry in response to COVID-19. Finally, it offers a new angle by explicitly highlighting the power dynamics between restaurants and food ordering platforms (apps) and the potential alternatives in this specific context.
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Rafikul Islam, Kazi Md. Tarique and Siti Salwani Razali
The Takāful (Islamic insurance) industry operates on the principles of Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah, and of late, the industry has witnessed significant market growth. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
The Takāful (Islamic insurance) industry operates on the principles of Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah, and of late, the industry has witnessed significant market growth. The purpose of this study is to develop a performance measurement model based on Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah to evaluate the performance of Takāful firms.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method research approach was adopted to conduct the present study. Priorities were assigned to various dimensions of the Maqāṣid model using analytic hierarchy process and by taking inputs from 18 Takāful experts. On the contrary, six experts were involved in identifying the elements and measures for the operationalization of the Maqāṣid dimensions.
Findings
Maṣlaḥa (0.359) was found to possess the highest priority, followed by Justice (0.345) and Educating Individuals (0.295). Furthermore, under Necessity, protection of religion (0.398) and protection of life (0.388) are assigned almost similar priorities. These two are followed by the protection of progeny (0.107), protection of wealth (0.058) and protection of intellect (0.047). The final outcome of this study is a hierarchical model for the evaluation of performance of Takāful firms.
Practical implications
The application of the performance evaluation model will provide information to the management of Takāful firms on where they stand in terms of fulfilling Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah principles. If any firms are found to have a deficiency in a certain part of Maqāṣid components, then proper and adequate measures can be taken to ameliorate the situation.
Originality/value
It is necessary to have a performance evaluation model based upon Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah to evaluate the performance of Takāful firms as these firms operate on the principles of Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah. Because there does not exist any such model, this study fills up this gap. Details of the measures that can be used to evaluate the performance of Takāful firms are also provided.
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Sabri Boubaker, Md Hamid Uddin, Sarkar Humayun Kabir and Sabur Mollah
This paper aims to investigate a fundamental research question of whether the Islamic banking business model makes corporate earnings more uncertain. This question arises because…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate a fundamental research question of whether the Islamic banking business model makes corporate earnings more uncertain. This question arises because prior research shows that Islamic banks do well in loan performance but incur more operational costs than conventional banks, indicating the systemic limitation of Islamic banks in business risk management.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a sample of banks to conduct the panel regression analysis with 15 years of data for 532 banks (129 Islamic and 403 conventional) from 23 Muslim countries across the world. The authors estimate earnings uncertainty in two ways: the spread and standard deviation of the country-adjusted return over the sample period and applied the difference-in-difference approach interacting cost to income ratio with the Islamic bank dummy, checking if Islamic bank’s high operational costs contribute to more earning uncertainty.
Findings
Islamic banks’ returns on assets are significantly more uncertain than conventional banks due to higher operational costs. Consistent with earlier evidence, the study also finds that Islamic banks generally have fewer nonperforming loans than conventional banks. The authors conclude that Islamic banks trade-off between reducing credit risk and escalating business risk.
Originality/value
This study documents that the Islamic banking model helps build a safer asset portfolio but gives rise to the uncertainty of corporate earnings. Therefore, the choice between Islamic and conventional banking models involves a trade-off between credit and business risks. It is a new finding that we add to the literature body on Islamic finance.
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David W. Taylor and Antonella Reintano
The early literature on learning in small firms has been linked to individual learning through training. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of networks as a vehicle…
Abstract
The early literature on learning in small firms has been linked to individual learning through training. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of networks as a vehicle for learning through knowledge transfer. It is how this network‐learning takes place that this paper helps to elucidate. The focus in this paper is a particular ‘life or death’ decision point at Totti Industrie, a small religious clothing manufacturer in Calabria, Italy. A problem‐centred approach was adopted in order to assess how the owner‐manager learned to solve problems and ultimately arrive at a decision. Preliminary findings diverge from similar studies undertaken in the United Kingdom where networks are less extensive but utilised more completely to resolve business related problems. It is suggested that a more limited use of the wider network could be down to the intensity and vastness of network relations and the susceptibility of this wider‐network to leakage of valuable company information.
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A. Zeeshan, Muhammad Imran Khan, R. Ellahi and Zaheer Asghar
This study aims to model the important flow response quantities over a shrinking wedge with the help of response surface methodology (RSM) and an artificial neural network (ANN)…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to model the important flow response quantities over a shrinking wedge with the help of response surface methodology (RSM) and an artificial neural network (ANN). An ANN simulation for optimal thermal transport of incompressible viscous fluid under the impact of the magnetic effect (MHD) over a shrinking wedge with sensitivity analysis and optimization with RSM has yet not been investigated. This effort is devoted to filling the gap in existing literature.
Design/methodology/approach
A statistical experimental design is a setup with RSM using a central composite design (CCD). This setup involves the combination of values of input parameters such as porosity, shrinking and magnetic effect. The responses of skin friction coefficient and Nusselt number are required against each parameter combination of the experimental design, which is computed by solving the simplified form of the governing equations using bvp4c (a built-in technique in MATLAB). An empirical model for Cfx and Nux using RSM and ANN adopting the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm based on trained neural networks (LMA-TNN) is attained. The empirical model for skin friction coefficient and Nusselt number using RSM has 99.96% and 99.99% coefficients of determination, respectively.
Findings
The values of these matrices show the goodness of fit for these quantities. The authors compared the results obtained from bvp4c, RSM and ANN and found them all to be in good agreement. A sensitivity analysis is performed, which shows that Cfx as well as Nux are most affected by porosity. However, they are least affected by magnetic parameters.
Originality/value
This study aims to simulate ANN and sensitivity analysis for optimal thermal transport of magnetic viscous fluid over shrinking wedge.
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Raphael Lissillour, Yuting Cui, Khaled Guesmi, Weijian Chen and Qianran Chen
This study aims to empirically examine the relationships among perceived environmental uncertainty (EV), the level of knowledge distance (KD) and the impact of value network on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to empirically examine the relationships among perceived environmental uncertainty (EV), the level of knowledge distance (KD) and the impact of value network on firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The quantitative analysis is based on data from 243 Chinese companies with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) business in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Findings
The two dimensions of value network [network centrality (NC) and network openness (NO)] have a different impact on firm performance [financial performance (FP) and market performance (MP)]. NC has a positive impact on FP, but not on MP. NO has a positive effect on MP, but not on FP. A reduced KD mediates the relationship between value network and firm performance. Moreover, it fully mediates the relationship between NC and MP, NO and FP. Finally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, only EV has a moderating effect on KD and MP.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited in terms of data set because it relies on a limited amount of cross-sectional data from one specific country. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.
Practical implications
The present findings suggest that EPC professionals should pay more attention to the EV, which may be impacted by policy, technology and the economy. This research has actionable implications for the reform of EPC in the construction industry, and practical recommendations for EPC firms to improve their corporate performance.
Originality/value
The results measure the complementary effects of both dimensions of value network (NC and NO) on two distinct aspects of firm performance (MP and FP) and assess the moderating effect of EV and KD in the context of the COVID-19 pandemics.
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